Thill attachment for vehicles



(No Model.)

W. JOHN$ON.

THILL ATTACHMENT FOR-VEHICLES. No. 465,528. Patented Dec 22, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM JOHNSON, OF GRANT CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MONROE ROBERTSON, OF ODELL, NEBRASKA.

THILL ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 465,528, dated December 22, 1891.

Application filed September 11, 1891. Serial No. $05,420. (N model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grant City, in the county of North and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Thill Attachment, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to carriages and wagons, and more especially to the thills thereof;

to and the object of the same is to provide an improved device for connecting the thill-support and belly-band with the thills, to the end that these straps may be adjusted on the thills and will be prevented from slipping.

The invention consists in the specific construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the sheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of thills with my improved device attached,

showing them as viewed slightly from the under side, with the thill-support and belly-band in normal position on one thill and in another position on the other thill. Fig. 2 is a considerably-enlarged central longitudinal section of a portion of one thill and my improved device. Fig. 3 is a cross-section thereof.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter T designates a pair of thills, which may be of any desired pattern or approved construction and having a loop or other device H to which the usual holdback-strap is attached and led to the crupper.

S is the thill-support strap, which passes over the harness-saddle on the back of the horse, and B is the belly-band, which passes beneath the horse, all these parts being of the usual and well-known construction.

Coming now to the present invention, the

0 letter P designates a long fiat piece of metal,

wood, leather, or other suitable material having projections, or, more properly speaking,

enlargements E on its lower face at intervals and at its ends, as shown. This piece is flat on its upper face, whichis applied againstthe under side of each thill, and thewhole is held in position by screws, bolts, tacks, or nails N, passed upward through the body of the piece, through its enlargements, or through both, and into or through each thill, as shown in Fig. 2. The corners of this piece and the transverse ends of its enlargements, as well as the sides of the same, are nicely rounded, as illustrated, and hence will not wear the straps.

In use the eye at the lower end of the thillsupport strap is passed over the thill and back to the proper point over the attachment, and the belly-band is then drawn tight, wrapped around thethill and attachment and buckled or otherwise connected to thethill-support, and in this position all longitudinal slipping of the straps upon the thill will be impossible. It frequently occurs that it is desirable to drive without breeching, as when the vehicle is a sulky or it is desired to speed the horse, and in this case the holdback can be omitted and the thill-support and belly-band connected, as seen in the background of Fig. 1that is to say, the thill-support is'connected with the thill near the front end of the attachment, and far enough forward so that the sulky will be held back by the inclined position of this strap, a small additional strap A being preferably used to prevent the eye of the thill-support from slipping, and the bellyband is buckled around the thill and attachment near the rear end of the latter and also in aninclined position, as shown, but far enough to the rear so as not to chafe the horses body. By having the attachment of considerable length it will thus be possible to prevent a light vehicle-such as a sulkyfrom moving forward or backward with relation to the horse without the use of the usual breeching strap. The enlargements on the attachment of course prevent the straps from slipping and are preferably made integral with the body.

\Vhat is claimed as new is-- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, the herein-described attachment for vehiclethills, comprising a long strap of suitable ma terial, having a flat up per face, a rounded lower face, projections from or enlargements 011 the latter face at intervals throughout the length of said strap, and screws or nails passing upward through the strap and its enlargements, whereby the device is secured to a thilL'all as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth. 10o

2. Asan improved article of manufacture, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as the herein-described attachment for vehicle- 111 y own I have hereto afiixed my signature in thills, comprisinga long strap of suitable mapresence of two Witnesses.

terial, having a rounded lower face and pro- WILLIAM JOHNSON. 5 jections from or enlargements on the latter Witnesses:

face at intervals throughout thelen'gth of said JAs. T. MARRS,

strap, all as and for the purpose set forth. J NO. T. ROBERTSON. 

